Extraction of hyaluronic acid (HA) from rooster comb and characterization using flow field-flow fractionation (FlFFF) coupled with multiangle light scattering (MALS)

Hyaluronic Acid-Extraction Methods, Sources and Applications

In this review, a compilation of articles in databases on the extraction methods and applications of hyaluronic acid (HA) was carried out. HA is a highly hydrated component of different tissues, including connective, epithelial, and neural. It is an anionic, linear glycosaminoglycan (GAG) primarily found in the native extracellular matrix (ECM) of soft connective tissues. Included in the review were studies on the extraction methods (chemical, enzymatical, combined) of HA, describing advantages and disadvantages as well as news methods of extraction. The applications of HA in food are addressed, including oral supplementation, biomaterials, medical research, and pharmaceutical and cosmetic industry applications. Subsequently, we included a section related to the structure and penetration routes of the skin, with emphasis on the benefits of systems for transdermal drug delivery nanocarriers as promoters of percutaneous absorption. Finally, the future trends on the applications of HA were included. This final section contains the effects before, during, and after the application of HA-based products.

Polysaccharides-Naturally Occurring Immune Modulators

The prevention of disease and infection requires immune systems that operate effectively. This is accomplished by the elimination of infections and abnormal cells. Immune or biological therapy treats disease by either stimulating or inhibiting the immune system, dependent upon the circumstances. In plants, animals, and microbes, polysaccharides are abundant biomacromolecules. Due to the intricacy of their structure, polysaccharides may interact with and impact the immune response; hence, they play a crucial role in the treatment of several human illnesses. There is an urgent need for the identification of natural biomolecules that may prevent infection and treat chronic disease. This article addresses some of the naturally occurring polysaccharides of known therapeutic potential that have already been identified. This article also discusses extraction methods and immunological modulatory capabilities.

A Novel Hyaluronic Acid Matrix Ingredient with Regenerative, Anti-Aging and Antioxidant Capacity

Hyaluronic acid (HA) and proteoglycans (such as dermatan sulphate (DS) and chondroitin sulphate (CS)) are the main components of the extracellular matrix of the skin, along with collagen and elastin. These components decrease with age, which implies a loss of skin moisture causing wrinkles, sagging and aging. Currently, the external and internal administration of effective ingredients that can reach the epidermis and dermis is the main alternative for combating skin aging. The objective of this work was to extract, characterise and evaluate the potential of an HA matrix ingredient to support anti-aging. The HA matrix was isolated and purified from rooster comb and characterised physicochemically and molecularly. In addition, its regenerative, anti-aging and antioxidant potential and intestinal absorption were evaluated. The results show that the HA matrix is composed of 67% HA, with an average molecular weight of 1.3 MDa; 12% sulphated glycosaminoglycans, including DS and CS; 17% protein, including collagen (10.4%); and water. The in vitro evaluation of the HA matrix's biological activity showed regenerative properties in both fibroblasts and keratinocytes, as well as moisturising, anti-aging and antioxidant effects. Furthermore, the results suggest that the HA matrix could be absorbed in the intestine, implying a potential oral as well as topical use for skin care, either as an ingredient in a nutraceutical or a cosmetic product.

Methods for isolating and analyzing physiological hyaluronan: a review

The carbohydrate hyaluronan (or hyaluronic acid, HA) is found in all human tissues and biofluids where it has wide-ranging functions in health and disease that are dictated by both its abundance and size. Consequently, hyaluronan evaluation in physiological samples has significant translational potential. Although the analytical tools and techniques for probing other biomolecules such as proteins and nucleic acids have become standard approaches in biochemistry, those available for investigating hyaluronan are less well established. In this review, we survey methods related to the assessment of native hyaluronan in biological specimens, including protocols for separating it from biological matrices and technologies for determining its concentration and molecular weight.

Polysaccharides in Agro-Industrial Biomass Residues

The large-scale industrial use of polysaccharides to obtain energy is one of the most discussed subjects in science. However, modern concepts of biorefinery have promoted the diversification of the use of these polymers in several bioproducts incorporating concepts of sustainability and the circular economy. This work summarizes the major sources of agro-industrial residues, physico-chemical properties, and recent application trends of cellulose, chitin, hyaluronic acid, inulin, and pectin. These macromolecules were selected due to their industrial importance and valuable functional and biological applications that have aroused market interests, such as for the production of medicines, cosmetics, and sustainable packaging. Estimations of global industrial residue production based on major crop data from the United States Department of Agriculture were performed for cellulose content from maize, rice, and wheat, showing that these residues may contain up to 18%, 44%, and 35% of cellulose and 45%, 22%, and 22% of hemicellulose, respectively. The United States (~32%), China (~20%), and the European Union (~18%) are the main countries producing cellulose and hemicellulose-rich residues from maize, rice, and wheat crops, respectively. Pectin and inulin are commonly obtained from fruit (~30%) and vegetable (~28%) residues, while chitin and hyaluronic acid are primarily found in animal waste, e.g., seafood (~3%) and poultry (~4%).

Preparation and characterization of decellularized rooster comb as a scaffold for tissue engineering applications

Decellularization is a method that has been widely used in tissue engineering especially in the last 20 years. In this study decellularized rooster comb was prepared and characterized for using it as a tissue scaffold. Treatment of tissues with sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) and Triton X-100 as two decellularization procedures in different time points were compared according to different parameters such as cytocompatibility, cell removal, preservation of extracellular matrix (ECM), and mechanical properties to find the optimum technique. Even though there was no difference regarding to efficiency on cell removal, SDS demonstrated better results on protection of tissue morphology in comparison with Triton X-100. Therefore, in general the samples treated with SDS showed higher levels of mechanical properties and cytocompatibility in comparison with Triton X-100 applied tissues. In the cuisines of many countries, rooster comb is discarded as a waste material however, in this study it was demonstrated that decellularized rooster comb could be utilized as a cheap, easily obtainable, and biocompatible scaffold. In conclusion, it was revealed that decellularized rooster comb is a promising biomaterial for using as scaffold and it is expected to be utilized for the further studies in particular on skin tissue engineering.

Applications of asymmetrical flow field-flow fractionation for separation and characterization of polysaccharides: A review

Polysaccharides are the most abundant natural biopolymers on the earth and are widely used in food, medicine, materials, cosmetics, and other fields. The physicochemical properties of polysaccharides such as particle size and molecular weight often affect their practical applications. In recent years, asymmetrical flow field-flow fractionation (AF4) has been widely used in the separation and characterization of polysaccharides because it has no stationary phases or packing materials, which reduces the risk of shear degradation of polysaccharides. In this review, the principle of AF4 was introduced briefly. The operation conditions of AF4 for the analysis of polysaccharides were discussed. The applications of AF4 for the separation and characterization of polysaccharides from different sources (plants, animals, and microorganisms) over the last decade were critically reviewed.

Improving physical and biological properties of nylon monofilament as suture by Chitosan/Hyaluronic acid

One way to give some properties such as antibacterial and good frictional properties to sutures is the application of natural antibacterial and hydrophilic components on their surfaces through layer by layer assembly (LBL) technique. In this regard, Chitosan as an antibacterial polycationic natural polymer along with Hyaluronic acid (HA) as a polyanionic polysaccharide could be used to form a polyelectrolyte complex. In this study, HA was extracted from rooster comb using different solvents. Characterization of the extracted HA by FTIR and GPC analysis showed extracted HA with M_w = 2.53 × 10⁵ Da had no cytotoxicity. Then, a nylon monofilament (NMy) was coated by the extracted HA and chitosan with different concentrations using bilayer coating technique. Two dyes also were loaded to coating layer to investigate the release behavior of these two drug models. The morphology of coated layer showed that coating NMy by chitosan (4% w/v) following by HA (8% w/v) with roughness of 164 ± 129 nm and friction coefficient of 0.26 had suitable interaction between two layers to prevent from exfoliation of coating layers. The antibacterial activity and controlled release of coated NMy indicated how a NMy coated by Chitosan and HA is a promising material for using as a suture.

Hyaluronic acid and Chondroitin sulfate from marine and terrestrial sources: Extraction and purification methods

Hyaluronic acid (HA) and chondroitin sulfate (CS) are valuable bioactive polysaccharides that have been highly used in biomedical and pharmaceutical applications. Extensive research was done to ensure their efficient extraction from marine and terrestrial by-products at a high yield and purity, using specific techniques to isolate and purify them. In general, the cartilage is the most common source for CS, while the vitreous humor is main used source of HA. The developed methods were based in general on tissue hydrolysis, removal of proteins and purification of the target biopolymers. They differ in the extraction conditions, enzymes and/or solvents used and the purification technique. This leads to specific purity, molecular weight and sulfation pattern of the isolated HA and CS. This review focuses on the analysis and comparison of different extraction and purification methods developed to isolate these valuable biopolymers from marine and terrestrial animal by-products.

Enhancement of acetyl-CoA by acetate co-utilization in recombinant Lactococcus lactis cultures enables the production of high molecular weight hyaluronic acid

The molecular weight of hyaluronic acid (HA) is a critical property which determines its usage in various biomedical applications. This study investigates the correlation between the availability of a critical cofactor, acetyl-CoA, the concentration of a limiting precursor, UDP-N-acetylglucosamine (UDP-GlcNAc), and the molecular weight of HA (MW_HA) produced by recombinant Lactococcus lactis MKG6 cultures. This strain expressed three heterologous HA-pathway genes obtained from the has operon of Streptococcus zooepidemicus in an ldh-mutant host strain, L. lactis NZ9020. A flux balance analysis, performed using the L. lactis genome-scale metabolic network, showed a positive correlation of acetyl-CoA flux with the UDP-GlcNAc flux and the experimental data on HA productivity. To increase the intracellular levels of acetyl-CoA, acetate was supplemented as a pulse feed in anaerobic batch cultures. However, acetate is effectively utilized only in the presence of glucose and exhaustion of glucose resulted in decreasing the final MW_HA (1.5 MDa). Co-supplementation of acetate resulted in enhancing the acetyl-CoA and UDP-GlcNAc levels as well as the MW_HA to 2.5 MDa. This logic was extended to fed-batch cultures, designed with a pH-based feedback control of glucose feeding and pulse acetate supplementation. When the glucose feed concentration was optimally adjusted to prevent glucose exhaustion or accumulation, the acetate utilization was found to be high, resulting in significantly enhanced levels of acetyl-CoA and UDP-GlcNAc as well as a MW_HA of 3.4 MDa, which was sustained at this value throughout the process. This study provides the possibility of commercially producing high MW_HA using recombinant L. lactis strains.

SEC Separation of Polysaccharides Using Macroporous Spherical Silica Gel as a Stationary Phase

Abstract

Meso- and macroporous spherical silica gels of pore sizes in the range of 60–1000 Å and 40–75 µm particle size were investigated as a stationary phase for the separation and purification of polysaccharides and poly(ethylene glycols) (PEGs) of various MWs using an aqueous mobile phase. Sephadex and Bio-Gel were used for comparison as the most common stationary phases for similar purposes. The separation of dextrans of a mean MW = 31 kDa from small molecules (NaCl) was possible with SiO₂ with a pore size of 60–300 Å, but the observed efficiencies of a column of the same size were lower comparing with Sephadex or Bio-Gel. In the case of oxidized alginic acid only SiO₂ of the 60 Å pore size was suitable, while Sephadex, Bio-Gel and other investigated silicas were not efficient. Sephadex and 300–1000 Å SiO₂ offered the possibility of dividing dextrans with MW within the range of 1 MDa–10 kDa into fractions of various MWs, while Bio-Gel and 60 Å SiO₂ were not suitable. The investigated silica gels strongly adsorbed PEGs of MW 2–20 kDa. The amount adsorbed decreased with the increase of pore size and they were not useful as a stationary phase for this class of polymers. An advantage of SiO₂ of the investigated particle size was a very low back pressure comparing with Sephadex. A considerably lower price of silica offers time- and cost-efficient separation of polysaccharides.

Graphical Abstract

Directed Evolution of Hyaluronic Acid Synthase from Pasteurella multocida towards High-Molecular-Weight Hyaluronic Acid

Hyaluronic acid (HA), with diverse cosmetic and medical applications, is the natural glycosaminoglycan product of HA synthases. Although process and/or metabolic engineering are used for industrial HA production, the potential of protein engineering has barely been realised. Herein, knowledge-gaining directed evolution (KnowVolution) was employed to generate an HA synthase variant from Pasteurella multocida (pmHAS) with improved chain-length specificity and a twofold increase in mass-based turnover number. Seven improved pmHAS variants out of 1392 generated by error-prone PCR were identified; eight prospective positions were saturated and the most beneficial amino acid substitutions were recombined. After one round of KnowVolution, the longest HA polymer (<4.7 MDa), through an engineered pmHAS variant in a cell-free system, was synthesised. Computational studies showed that substitutions from the best variant (T40L, V59M and T104A) are distant from the glycosyltransferase sites and increase the flexibility of the N-terminal region of pmHAS. Taken together, these findings suggest that the N terminus may be involved in HA synthesis and demonstrate the potential of protein engineering towards improved HA synthase activity.

Effect of ultrasonic degradation of hyaluronic acid extracted from rooster comb on antioxidant and antiglycation activities

CONTENT

Recently, low-molecular-weight hyaluronic acid (LMWHA) has been reported to have novel features, such as free radical scavenging activities, antioxidant activities and dietary supplements.

OBJECTIVE

In this study, hyaluronic acid (HA) was extracted from rooster comb and LMWHA was obtained by ultrasonic degradation in order to assess their antioxidant and antiglycation activities.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Molecular weight (Mw) and the content of glucuronic acid (GlcA) were used as the index for comparison of the effect of ultrasonic treatment. The effects on the structure were determined by ultraviolet (UV) spectra and Fourier transform infrared spectra (FTIR). The antioxidant activity was determined by three analytical assays (DPPH, NO and TBARS), and the inhibitory effect against glycated-BSA was also assessed.

RESULTS

The GlcA content of HA and LMWHA was estimated at about 48.6% and 47.3%, respectively. The results demonstrate that ultrasonic irradiation decreases the Mw (1090-181 kDa) and intrinsic viscosity (1550-473 mL/g), which indicate the cleavage of the glycosidic bonds. The FTIR and UV spectra did not significantly change before and after degradation. The IC50 value of HA and LWMHA was 1.43, 0.76 and 0.36 mg/mL and 1.20, 0.89 and 0.17 mg/mL toward DPPH, NO and TBARS, respectively. Likewise LMWHA exhibited significant inhibitory effects on the AGEs formation than HA.

DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION

The results demonstrated that the ultrasonic irradiation did not damage and change the chemical structure of HA after degradation; furthermore, decreasing Mw and viscosity of LMWHA after degradation may enhance the antioxidant and antiglycation activity.

Sequential one-pot multienzyme synthesis of hyaluronan and its derivative

Hyaluronan (HA) is a linear polysaccharide composed of repeating disaccharide units. It has been well documented to play an array of biological functions in cancer events. Here, we reported a sequential one-pot multienzyme (OPME) strategy for in vitro synthesis of HA and its derivatives. The strategy, which combined in situ sugar nucleotides generation with HA chain polymerization, could convert cheap monosaccharides into HA polymers without consuming exogenous sugar nucleotide donors. HA polymers (number-average molecular weight ranged from 1.5×10⁴ to 5.5×10⁵Da) with over 70% yields were efficiently synthesized and purified from this one-pot system. More importantly, partial labeled HA derivative was further synthesized by metabolic incorporation of unnatural monosaccharide analogues into the sequential OPME system. Cross-linked HA hydrogel was achieved via copper (I)-catalyzed azide-alkyne cycloaddition and exhibited novel networks consisting of both inter- and intra-connected HA chains, which could facilitate the potential applications of this unique polysaccharide.

Production and characterization of bacterial cellulose membranes with hyaluronic acid from chicken comb

The bacterial cellulose (BC), from Gluconacetobacter hansenii, is a biofilm with a high degree of crystallinity that can be used for therapeutic purposes and as a candidate for healing wounds. Hyaluronic acid (HA) is a constitutive polysaccharide found in the extracellular matrix and is a material used in tissue engineering and scaffolding for tissue regeneration. In this study, polymeric composites were produced in presence of hyaluronic acid isolated from chicken comb on different days of fermentation, specifically on the first (BCHA-SABT0) and third day (BCHA-SABT3) of fermentation. The structural characteristics, thermal stability and molar mass of hyaluronic acid from chicken comb were evaluated. Native membrane and polymeric composites were characterized with respect to their morphology and crystallinity. The optimized process of extraction and purification of hyaluronic acid resulted in low molar mass hyaluronic acid with structural characteristics similar to the standard commercial hyaluronic acid. The results demonstrate that the polymeric composites (BC/HA-SAB) can be produced in situ. The membranes produced on the third day presented better incorporation of HA-SAB between cellulose microfiber, resulting in membranes with higher thermal stability, higher roughness and lower crystallinity. The biocompatiblily of bacterial cellulose and the importance of hyaluronic acid as a component of extracellular matrix qualify the polymeric composites as promising biomaterials for tissue engineering.

Glycosaminoglycans from chicken muscular stomach or gizzard

Glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) were prepared from the muscular stomach or gizzard of the chicken. The content of GAGs on a dry weight basis contains 0.4 wt.% a typical value observed for a muscle tissue. The major GAG components were chondroitin-6-sulfate and chondroitin-4-sulfate (~64 %) of molecular weight 21-22 kDa. Hyaluronan (~24 %) had a molecular weight 120 kDa. Smaller amounts (12 %) of heparan sulfate was also present which was made of more highly sulfated chains of molecular weight of 21-22 kDa and a less sulfated low molecular weight (< 10 kDa) heterogeneous partially degraded heparan sulfate. Chicken gizzard represents an inexpensive and readily available source of muscle tissue-derived GAGs.

Hyaluronan - a functional and structural sweet spot in the tissue microenvironment

Transition from homeostatic to reactive matrix remodeling is a fundamental adaptive tissue response to injury, inflammatory disease, fibrosis, and cancer. Alterations in architecture, physical properties, and matrix composition result in changes in biomechanical and biochemical cellular signaling. The dynamics of pericellular and extracellular matrices, including matrix protein, proteoglycan, and glycosaminoglycan modification are continually emerging as essential regulatory mechanisms underlying cellular and tissue function. Nevertheless, the impact of matrix organization on inflammation and immunity in particular and the consequent effects on tissue healing and disease outcome are arguably under-studied aspects of adaptive stress responses. Herein, we review how the predominant glycosaminoglycan hyaluronan (HA) contributes to the structure and function of the tissue microenvironment. Specifically, we examine the evidence of HA degradation and the generation of biologically active smaller HA fragments in pathological settings in vivo. We discuss how HA fragments versus nascent HA via alternate receptor-mediated signaling influence inflammatory cell recruitment and differentiation, resident cell activation, as well as tumor growth, survival, and metastasis. Finally, we discuss how HA fragmentation impacts restoration of normal tissue function and pathological outcomes in disease.

Purification and biocompatibility of fermented hyaluronic acid for its applications to biomaterials

Background

Hyaluronic acid (HA) is of importance due to its diverse applications in pharmaceuticals and medical devices such as dermal filler, adhesion barriers, carrier for cells and bioactive molecules as well as scaffold biomaterials for tissue engineering. Evaluations of purification and biocompatibility of HA are required for its applications to biomaterials.

Results

After synthesizing HA by fermentation of streptococcus zooepidemicus for 25 hr, extensively purification of the fermented broth was performed to remove impurities using a filtration process for insoluble components and cells, and diverse adsorbents for soluble impurities. Its in vitro biocompatibility has been evaluated by measurement of cell counting and assay of cell live and dead. 60% yield of white HA powder was obtained, having 15–17 dL/g intrinsic viscosity with a molecular weight of approximately 1,000 kDa. While low molecular weight impurities and insoluble impurities were successfully removed using a ultrafiltration membrane with 50 KDa molecular weight cut, endotoxins, high molecular weight proteins and nucleic acids were removed from the broth by employing adsorbents such as alumina and activated carbons. Alumina showed the best results for the removal of endotoxins, all of the activated carbons were very effective in the removal of high molecular weight proteins and nucleic acids. The purified HA solution showed excellent cell compatibility with no cell damages as observed by both measurement of cell proliferation and observation of cell viability.

Conclusions

We obtained high molecular weight HA with excellent biocompatibility as judged by both measurement of cell proliferation and viability, indicating high possibility of its applications to biomaterials.

Isolation and characterization of hyaluronic acid from marine organisms

Hyaluronic acid (HA) being a viscous slippery substance is a multifunctional glue with immense therapeutic applications such as ophthalmic surgery, orthopedic surgery and rheumatology, drug delivery systems, pulmonary pathology, joint pathologies, and tissue engineering. Although HA has been isolated from terrestrial origin (human umbilical cord, rooster comb, bacterial sources, etc.) so far, the increasing interest on this polysaccharide significantly aroused the alternative search from marine sources since it is at the preliminary level. Enthrallingly, marine environments are considered more biologically diverse than terrestrial environments. Although numerous methods have been described for the extraction and purification of HA, the hitch on the isolation methods which greatly influences the yield as well as the molecular weight of the polymer still exists. Adaptation of suitable method is essential in this venture. Stimulated by the developed technology, to sketch the steps involved in isolation and analytical techniques for characterization of this polymer, a brief report on the concerned approach has been reviewed.

Detailed characterization of hyaluronan using aqueous size exclusion chromatography with triple detection and multiangle light scattering detection

Hyaluronan (HA) has attracted great interest and attention from ophthalmic surgical and eye care companies owing to its unique properties. A more complete understanding of HA biopolymers has, therefore, become increasingly critical as thorough characterization of raw materials helps promote product quality and process control. Often, such detailed information requires the use of a combination of analytical techniques. In this study, we compared size exclusion chromatography (SEC) with online multiangle light scattering (SEC-MALS) and SEC with triple detection (SEC-TD) experiments for HA analysis. Three lots of commercially available eye drop grade HA were characterized by SEC-MALS and SEC-TD. The absolute molecular weight averages, molecular weight distribution, radius of gyration, and solution conformation of the three HA lots were determined and compared by the two techniques. In addition, the intrinsic viscosity and intrinsic viscosity distribution were measured by SEC-TD.